North Coast 500 route

[bri]

Hiya funstersjust looking at planning some travel,and we have always wanted to explore Scotland,but I've heard that locals don't make motorhomers welcome, especially round the NC500route.which seems a shame.l know from personal experience that Scots are lovely people and welcoming,so l have a lot of reservations about what I've heard and would like to dismiss it as untrue.can someone put some assurance my way please.

 

[poppycamper]

,but I've heard that locals don't make motorhomers welcome, especially round the NC500route.

Where did you hear that.... Facetube!!!! Utter bull shit.
We all friendly up here... just don't bring any of your English Pounds because there is a spate of forgery English notes up here and a lot aint taking them.....Getting ours back to all those years yoos not wanting our money.

 

[3 cabbages]

Come in, come in, its nice to see you
Hows yoursel' you 're looking grand

Tak' a seat and ha' e a drammie,
Man you're welcome, here's ma hand!

Leo

 

[Stealaway]

They have become a victim of their own success. So many MoHo are up there now ticking it off their wish list.
If you pick a quieter time either side of the summer it could be OK.
To be honest for me the east side is not that scenic. I would give it a miss and head for the west above Inverness. Ullapool and then head south to Sky and Oban.
Be sure to spend some time in the Cairngorm's and the Glencoe mountains area.

 

[bri]

Where did you hear that.... Facetube!!!! Utter bull shit.
We all friendly up here... just don't bring any of your English Pounds because there is a spate of forgery English notes up here and a lot aint taking them.....Getting ours back to all those years yoos not wanting our money.

Hahaha l like that and thank you for the assuring reply.one of my best mates is Glasgow born and bred,married a Yorkshire lass and live 2doors from me....now l don't know who rubbed off on who ..but they are lovely people.So, I'm gonna get organised thru the winter months and we're bringing Benny (our camper)to Bonnie Scotland

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[glenn2926]

You’ll love it, I’ve driven and ridden what is now the NC500 long, long before it was even thought of. If you’ve not been before I recommend you do it anti clockwise. The East is not as mountainous as the West but does have some lovely scenery. John o groats is a tick off point and is much nicer than lands end as it is much less built up and better for it.
The people are great and welcoming. I see you’re from Yorkshire, well the people are very similar to us yorkies. In fact I have found over very many years of touring Scotland that I feel much more in common with Scots than with Southerners.
The food and drink is good too. Haggis, Whisky, scotch pies, whisky, Arbroath smokies, whisky, Cullen Skink, whisky, Venison and did I mention the whisky? Go for it.

 

[poppycamper]

Hahaha l like that and thank you for the assuring reply.one of my best mates is Glasgow born and bred,married a Yorkshire lass and live 2doors from me....now l don't know who rubbed off on who ..but they are lovely people.So, I'm gonna get organised thru the winter months and we're bringing Benny (our camper)to Bonnie Scotland

Yes I am born and bread Scottish... Would I do NC500.. defo not. Rmbr in the early days of M25 and they used to run coach trips around it. That is what NC500 is now like.
There are 1000's of miles of our lovely country. Get your map (rmbr them) out and go into the innards of our lovely country... just as or even better than NC500 Njoy.

 

[poppycamper]

. In fact I have found over very many years of touring Scotland that I feel much more in common with Scots than with Southerners.

Dare I say... that is maybe where the anti Scots feeling come from... Not northern Englanders but those from Southern Englandshire.????

 

[3 cabbages]

!ts a braw bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht !

Leo

 

[glenn2926]

Dare I say... that is maybe where the anti Scots feeling come from... Not northern Englanders but those from Southern Englandshire.????

Aye maybe, many of us northerners do feel quite detached from the south. Particularly the London centric spending of tax payer monies.
If you can fix it for the border to be moved to below South Yorkshire we’re quite prepared to become southern Scots.

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[vzac]

If you asked me I would look at the outer hebrides, orkney and shetland. Further from the border you go the nicer the people. Nc 500 is great just getting spoilt with so many vans, in the busy times. When I was working in Poolewe 1976. Motorhomes etc hardly existed, even saw a glimpse of the northern lights one night. Cairngorms and glencoe, black isle, inverness to Fort William, via Fort Augustus is a good drive as well. All great places as is the rd to Mallaig.
That's just a start.

 

[A S R]

Personally I wouldn’t bother with the eastern side ( yes I know there are some superb places to see there ) but if it’s rugged, remote scenery you’re after go to the west. It’s such a shame that people in the past have abused the beautiful country to such an extent that motorhomes are resented in certain places. And you can’t blame the locals for that either. Don’t stick to the NC500 route either because there are hundreds of hidden gems off that route. Wild camping isn’t too easy either now due to the “ no overnight camping “ signs that have appeared in nearly every lay-by too. Again, a shame, but probably due to past abuses.
There was a thing about the legality of these signs but I’ve never “tested” it or heard any result of any cases of prosecutions.
Scotland is truly a stunning place to go though. You’ll love it.

 

[DerryW]

What I can make of it, it depends what time of the year you're intending to go. We've just done it at the end of October and early November. Weather was mixed but we expected that. No issues whatsoever with the locals everyone was welcoming and friendly and up for a chat.

We chose to go up the east side taking in John O Grouts (yes I know it's not actually part of the official NC500 route), but for the sake of 20 odd miles off route why wouldn't you, and finishing off down the west cost via Applecross. We then spent a day on Isle of Sky before heading south via Fort William, stopping overnight just north of Oban before getting back to the rat race heading south.

I must say though, speaking to a lot of people, they were saying there were far to many MH's doing the route earlier on in the year, on some days there was an almost a continuous line of white boxes.

 

[dash300]

Dare I say... that is maybe where the anti Scots feeling come from... Not northern Englanders but those from Southern Englandshire.????

And the boundaries of 'Southern Englandshire' where these particularly unpopular Englanders come from would be?

 

[Jamesh]

Don't leave:-
Rubbish, BBQs, beer bottles, cassette contents etc etc

and you will be fine!!

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[vzac]

And the boundaries of 'Southern Englandshire' where these particularly unpopular Englanders come from would be?

Down south

 

[Jon B]

Hiya funstersjust looking at planning some travel,and we have always wanted to explore Scotland,but I've heard that locals don't make motorhomers welcome, especially round the NC500route.which seems a shame.l know from personal experience that Scots are lovely people and welcoming,so l have a lot of reservations about what I've heard and would like to dismiss it as untrue.can someone put some assurance my way please.

Did it in Sept this year, and also Lewis & Harris / North Uist / Benbecula / South Uist and Eriskay......

Despite all the headlines, we saw no litter in any lay-by's, nothing but friendly locals and it wasn't as busy as we were expecting......
Only thing that was an issue at times were the midges ......

In short do it, don't worry about places to overnight, had no issues anywhere....... Always leave the suggested donation in the honesty boxes where they are supplied and leave no trace of you being there - most campsites will let you empty black and grey waste and fill water for a small charge if not staying there, just have to ask or phone ahead

 

[Tombola]

Considering it was set up to promote tourism to some of the outlying areas and it just got a little too popular thanks to Youtube etc, then the odd local folk got uppity cos they couldnt park where they wanted , and we were obviously stealing their water again.

Its a good run, a little over rated in my opinion, a little bit repetitive depending on who you talk too. I did it west to east then east to west but probably wouldnt bother again. As for the midgies haaaaaaa. Forget it...nothing stops em, nothing, the love my blood.

No doubt Scotland has some wonderful places, an the Scots folk I know are a certain breed... but the places are nowt better than you can get in the lake district in my eyes.
the islands I got too are nice, Lewis, Arran Skye, etc I did nothing too far like Shetland though.
Its a little emperors new clothes for me as its all over hyped just a little too much but its nice and worth a look.

 

[dash300]

Down south

Fleetwood being South of Scotland!

 

[bri]

Did it in Sept this year, and also Lewis & Harris / North Uist / Benbecula / South Uist and Eriskay......

Despite all the headlines, we saw no litter in any lay-by's, nothing but friendly locals and it wasn't as busy as we were expecting......
Only thing that was an issue at times were the midges ......

In short do it, don't worry about places to overnight, had no issues anywhere....... Always leave the suggested donation in the honesty boxes where they are supplied and leave no trace of you being there - most campsites will let you empty black and grey waste and fill water for a small charge if not staying there, just have to ask or phone ahead

View attachment 565386View attachment 565387View attachment 565388

Looks good and nice rig.we may look at June with longer days.is that a mini compressor in the picture?

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[bri]

You’ll love it, I’ve driven and ridden what is now the NC500 long, long before it was even thought of. If you’ve not been before I recommend you do it anti clockwise. The East is not as mountainous as the West but does have some lovely scenery. John o groats is a tick off point and is much nicer than lands end as it is much less built up and better for it.
The people are great and welcoming. I see you’re from Yorkshire, well the people are very similar to us yorkies. In fact I have found over very many years of touring Scotland that I feel much more in common with Scots than with Southerners.
The food and drink is good too. Haggis, Whisky, scotch pies, whisky, Arbroath smokies, whisky, Cullen Skink, whisky, Venison and did I mention the whisky? Go for it.

Thanks Glenn,l will do it anti c/wiseand yes we are from god's county,and yes we share your sentiments and yes...you did mention the nectar hahaha

 

[vzac]

Fleetwood being South of Scotland!

It's all relative. Actually lancashire was part of scotland for a period, the boundary was the Mersey. Depends where we all think south is. For me anything south of Watford gap is foreign, so sorry. Just drive your combined harvester up a bit and you can become am associate member of 'northerns'

 

[Davb]

I used to live on the west coast and I can tell you what annoys the locals especially on the single track roads.

1: Holding up the traffic, always keep an eye on your mirrors, particularly on the single track, if there is somebody behind you pull up at a passing place and let them pass. When I used to drive to Lochinver (14 miles) it took me 25 minutes in winter in summer I had to allow at least one hour simply because some people wouldn't look in their mirrors.

2: Practice reversing, it used to amaze me the number of people who couldn't reverse in a straight line to go into a passing place, even when driving just a small hatchback. Positioning your mirrors so that you can see where your rear axle is going will help.

3: Don't try and squeeze past people instead of reversing.

The grass may look like the easy option, but the ditches aren't always that obvious and blocking the road won't win you any favours.

All this may sound like a right grump, but these are the things that annoy the locals. Be courteous in your driving and you won't annoy anyone.

 

[Davb]

Oh and another thing don't go in August, every man and his dog turns up and moans about the rain and the midges. August can be one of the wetter months of the year, the weather north of the Great Glen doesn't follow the rest of the country. The best time to come is May to June, it's dryer and the midges aren't out in full force.

 

[Jamesh]

You’ll love it, I’ve driven and ridden what is now the NC500 long, long before it was even thought of. If you’ve not been before I recommend you do it anti clockwise. The East is not as mountainous as the West but does have some lovely scenery. John o groats is a tick off point and is much nicer than lands end as it is much less built up and better for it.
The people are great and welcoming. I see you’re from Yorkshire, well the people are very similar to us yorkies. In fact I have found over very many years of touring Scotland that I feel much more in common with Scots than with Southerners.
The food and drink is good too. Haggis, Whisky, scotch pies, whisky, Arbroath smokies, whisky, Cullen Skink, whisky, Venison and did I mention the whisky? Go for it.

On a road bike? If so how did you find it?

It's on my to do list!!

Cheers James

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[Jon B]

Looks good and nice rig.we may look at June with longer days.is that a mini compressor in the picture?

If you mean the 2nd photo?, no that was us on EHU on a small 5 van aire on Harris - Huisinis Campervan Site - idilic setting but the neighbours who turned up every morning could be quite noisy when eating breakfast

 

[dash300]

It's all relative. Actually lancashire was part of scotland for a period, the boundary was the Mersey. Depends where we all think south is. For me anything south of Watford gap is foreign, so sorry. Just drive your combined harvester up a bit and you can become am associate member of 'northerns'

We only pop up out of curiosity to see why you all come down here!

 

[bri]

Dare I say... that is maybe where the anti Scots feeling come from... Not northern Englanders but those from Southern Englandshire.????

Yep we've often said Hadrian's wall was put too high up

 

[Potty]

Dare I say... that is maybe where the anti Scots feeling come from... Not northern Englanders but those from Southern Englandshire.????

I am London born and bred and have loved Scotland and the Scots since first visiting at the age of 3, so can’t agree that Souterners are anti-Scottish but having lived in the North West, many Northerners are anti-Southerners, thinking we are all softies.

 

[glenn2926]

On a road bike? If so how did you find it?

It's on my to do list!!

Cheers James

Numerous bikes, Yamaha Fazer, Honda Blackbird, BMW R1200GS, Yamaha Super Tenere. It was great fun and easy riding pads of passing places. Done clockwise and anti-clockwise anti being better In my opinion.

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